DNS server not responding: how to fix it on Windows 11

Applies to: Windows 11 PCs on Wi-Fi or Ethernet where Windows Network Diagnostics or the Get Help troubleshooter reports that the DNS server isn’t responding, and websites won’t open in any browser. The commands and most steps also work on Windows 10; the Settings paths differ slightly there.

What “DNS server not responding” means

Every time you open a website, Windows has to look up the name (such as example.com) and get back a numeric IP address. That lookup goes to a DNS server, normally your router or a server run by your internet provider, which the router hands to the PC along with its IP address. When the troubleshooter says the DNS server isn’t responding, the question went out and no answer came back in time. The connection to the router can be fine at the same moment.

Windows keeps recent answers in a local cache. Microsoft’s ipconfig command reference describes it as the DNS client resolver cache, which holds entries preloaded from the local Hosts file plus recently resolved names, and says the DNS Client service checks it before querying the configured DNS servers. That’s why some sites can still open for a while after the DNS server stops answering, while new ones fail. As general guidance, the cause can sit in one of several places: the router, the provider’s DNS servers, a DNS address typed into Windows by hand, a proxy or VPN, security software, or the PC’s network adapter.

Is it the PC or the network?

Microsoft’s Fix Wi-Fi connection issues in Windows page suggests testing another device: if another device connects to the same network, the problem is likely your PC. The table below maps what you see to the fixes in this guide; the “Where to look” column is general guidance.

What you see	Where to look	Start with
Phones and other devices on the same network can’t load sites either	Router, modem or the provider’s DNS	Fix 1, then Fix 4
Only this PC fails, other devices are fine	Windows DNS settings, proxy, VPN, adapter	Fix 2, Fix 3, Fix 5
The PC fails on every network, including a phone hotspot	Something on the PC: VPN, security software, network stack or driver	Fix 5, Fix 6, Fix 7
A browser shows DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_BAD_CONFIG	The same lookup failure, seen from the browser	Our DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_BAD_CONFIG guide

For a quick automatic check first, Microsoft’s Wi-Fi page points Windows 11 users to the Network and Internet troubleshooter in the Get Help app, which runs diagnostics and tries to fix what it finds. If Windows shows “No internet” on the network icon rather than a DNS message, our Wi-Fi connected but no internet guide covers the wider problem.

Fix 1: Restart the modem and router

When the router is the DNS server for your home, a router that has stopped forwarding lookups produces exactly this message on every device. The restart order on Microsoft’s Wi-Fi page:

1. Unplug the router, then the modem. If the modem has a backup battery and its lights stay on, remove the battery.
2. Wait about 30 seconds.
3. Plug the modem back in and let its lights settle.
4. Plug the router back in and wait a few minutes before you reconnect.

Microsoft notes that a combined cable modem and Wi-Fi router only needs one restart. If every device is still stuck afterward, the problem may be on the provider’s side, and Fix 4 can work around it while you wait or contact the provider.

Fix 2: Flush the DNS cache and renew the IP address

Open Command Prompt as administrator: search the taskbar for command prompt, select Run as administrator, then Yes. If you need more help with that, see how to open Command Prompt as administrator. Then run these one at a time, pressing Enter after each:

ipconfig /flushdns
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew

According to Microsoft’s ipconfig reference, /flushdns flushes and resets the DNS client resolver cache, which discards negative entries (remembered failures) as well as other entries added dynamically. /release gives up the current IP configuration and /renew requests it again from the router; /renew works only on adapters set to get an address automatically. You’ll lose the connection for a moment between the two.

If /renew fails or the PC ends up with an address that starts with 169.254, Microsoft’s Wi-Fi page says Windows didn’t get an address from the router. That’s a different problem from DNS; see Ethernet doesn’t have a valid IP configuration. If ipconfig lists the adapter as Media disconnected, the PC isn’t connected at all; see our Media disconnected guide.

Fix 3: See which DNS server the PC is using

Before you change anything, find out which server Windows is asking. Microsoft’s Wi-Fi page gives this command, which filters the full ipconfig /all output down to the DNS lines:

ipconfig /all | findstr /c:"DNS Servers"

Then ping the address it lists, replacing the example with yours:

ping 192.168.1.1

The page says that if this fails, try a different public DNS server, which is Fix 4. How to read the result, as general guidance:

• The address is your router’s (it matches the Default Gateway in ipconfig): the router is passing lookups on to the provider. A router that answers ping but not DNS points to the router or the provider.
• The address is one you don’t recognize: it may have been typed in by hand, set by an old VPN, or pushed by a work network. Fix 4 shows where to see and change it.
• Ping gets no replies: some DNS servers don’t answer ping, so this alone doesn’t prove DNS is down. Treat it as a hint and test by switching servers.

Fix 4: Switch to a different DNS server

If your provider’s or router’s DNS server isn’t answering, pointing Windows at another server works around it without touching the router. The steps from Microsoft’s Essential network settings and tasks in Windows page:

1. Open Start > Settings > Network & internet.
2. For Wi-Fi, select Wi-Fi > Manage known networks and choose the network. For a cable connection, select Ethernet and choose the connected network.
3. Next to IP assignment, select Edit.
4. Under Edit IP settings, choose Manual and turn on IPv4.
5. Enter the Preferred DNS and Alternate DNS addresses.
6. Select Save.

A caution that isn’t on Microsoft’s page: when you choose Manual next to IP assignment, Windows also asks for an IP address, subnet mask and gateway, and a wrong value there takes the PC offline. On current Windows 11 builds, the same page in Settings also shows a separate DNS server assignment row with its own Edit button. Use that row if you see it, because it changes only DNS and leaves the IP address automatic.

Which servers to enter is up to you; Microsoft’s Wi-Fi page only says to try a different public DNS server. As general guidance, well-known public services include Cloudflare (1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1) and Google Public DNS (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4). Run ipconfig /flushdns again after saving, then test a site you haven’t opened recently.

The same Microsoft page describes a DNS over HTTPS option for manual DNS, with Off, On (automatic template) and On (manual template) settings plus Fallback to plaintext, and notes it isn’t available in Windows 10. If encrypted DNS is on and lookups fail, setting it to Off for a test is reasonable general guidance; turn it back on once you know the server works.

Going the other way: if DNS addresses were already entered manually and you don’t know why, Microsoft lists Automatic (DHCP) as the recommended choice under Edit IP settings. Switching back lets the router supply DNS again, which is the fix when an old manual address has stopped working.

Fix 5: Turn off a manual proxy and the VPN

Microsoft’s Wi-Fi page, in its no-internet section, says to turn off manual proxies in Settings > Network & internet > Proxy. Under Manual proxy setup, turn the proxy off if you didn’t set it up on purpose.

As general guidance, a VPN app can replace your DNS servers with its own while it’s connected, and some leave those settings behind after a crash or uninstall. Disconnect the VPN and test again. If lookups work without it, update the VPN app or ask its provider; if they fail even with the VPN app closed, Fix 3 shows whether a leftover DNS address is still in place. Third-party security suites with web or DNS filtering can block lookups in a similar way; pause that feature briefly to test, then turn it back on right away.

Fix 6: Reset Winsock and TCP/IP

If only this PC fails and Fixes 2 to 5 didn’t help, reset the Windows network stack. Microsoft’s Wi-Fi page lists these commands, in this order, for an administrator Command Prompt:

netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
ipconfig /flushdns

As general guidance, netsh winsock reset restores the catalog Windows apps use to open network connections, and netsh int ip reset returns TCP/IP settings to their defaults. Write down any IP address or DNS servers you entered by hand first, since the reset can clear them. Restart the PC before you test again.

Fix 7: Reinstall the network adapter driver

A damaged adapter driver can drop or block traffic, DNS included. Microsoft’s Wi-Fi page says to download the latest driver from the PC maker’s website first, ideally to a USB drive in case the PC can’t get online afterward. Then:

1. Open Device Manager and expand Network adapters.
2. Right-click your Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter and select Uninstall device.
3. Select Attempt to remove the driver for this device and uninstall.
4. Restart the PC. Windows should reinstall the driver; if it doesn’t, install the driver you downloaded.

The same page also lists checking Settings > Windows Update for updates. As general guidance, those can include newer network drivers.

Fix 8: Run Network reset

Microsoft describes this as a last resort. In Windows 11:

1. Open Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Network reset.
2. Select Reset now and confirm.
3. Let the PC restart, then reconnect to your network.

Afterward, any DNS servers you set by hand are gone, so the router’s DNS is back in use. If the message returns, go back to Fix 4 and set a different DNS server.

Known issues

Microsoft lists confirmed Windows 11 problems on its Windows release health pages. If the problem started right after an update and none of the fixes help, check those pages, then contact your internet provider. Microsoft’s Wi-Fi page also suggests updating the router’s firmware.

Related guides

• Wi-Fi connected but no internet in Windows 11: how to fix it
• DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_BAD_CONFIG: 7 ways to fix it on Windows
• Ethernet doesn’t have a valid IP configuration: 7 fixes
• ipconfig Media disconnected in Windows 11: what it means and how to fix it
• How to open Command Prompt as administrator in Windows 11 and 10

Official sources

• Microsoft Support: Fix Wi-Fi connection issues in Windows
• Microsoft Support: Essential network settings and tasks in Windows
• Microsoft Learn: ipconfig